Moms Leader to Tennessee Governor: Free Cyntoia Brown Now!

Statement of Monifa Bandele, senior vice president of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the urgent need for Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to pardon and free Cyntoia Brown before he leaves office.

“Cyntoia Brown deserves to be free. Our justice system has failed her over and over. First, it failed to protect her when she became a victim of sex trafficking at just 16 years old. Fearing for her life, she defended herself against a 43-year-old armed child predator who had kidnapped and sexually assaulted her. Then, a court sentenced Cyntoia to life in prison.

“Cyntoia Brown’s experience underscores broader injustices in a system that too often criminalizes Black youth and utterly fails to support survivors of sexual abuse. Her sentence flies in the face of our nation’s standards for the sentencing of children. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2012 that life without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional, Tennessee and other states continue to inflict this cruel and unusual punishment on youth. It is unacceptable.

“Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has the authority to release Cyntoia Brown from prison and grant her clemency – but he must do so before he leaves office in a few weeks. If he does not, she will not be eligible for parole until she reaches age 67. That would be inhumane and unwarranted, and would make a mockery of standards designed to protect children.

“America’s moms demand that Governor Bill Haslam do what is right by bringing Cyntoia Brown home. We will be taking action all this week, and every day until this injustice ends. We know that survivors of sex trafficking need and deserve supports and services, not to be imprisoned once again.

“Governor Haslam must right this wrong and promote justice by freeing Cyntoia Brown today.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.